MSU football titles: how do you reckon time?

[grizzh8r]

I’ve been privileged to watch the TV broadcasts of all four National Championships.

1956: Childhood Championship. I was seven years old. My dad had worked at MSU for ten years after the illness and death of my infant brother brought my parents to Bozeman from Big Timber. Dad was a Bobcat fan by osmosis, working at MSC. He and I rode with a workmate of his, driving a big red and black Buick, through icy Rocky Canyon and over the pass to Livingston. We watched the game on Closed Circuit TV in the lobby of the Murray Hotel, in black and white on a big grainy movie-theater type screen. Vivid Memory: Watching the players sliding for yards and yards in the mud. And the Hershey chocolate bar — thanks, Dad.

1976: Newlywed Championship. Married, graduated from MSU, working four years already and going to grad school part-time at MSU. Watched on a GE 19-inch color TV in our mobile home in Nelson’s Court. Attended home playoff games with my wife and Dad, dressed for the Arctic. Vivid Memory: Going to the airport sometime around midnight to welcome the team and seeing Sonny Holland emerge, wearing his white western hat, holding the trophy high overhead!

1984: The Sort of All Grown Up Championship. Watched on a 27-inch Zenith from our home on Cherry Drive. Dad and I drove the little camper to Alaska for a month that summer. Not expecting much from the team, the excitement started to build mid-season and just kept going. Attended playoff games in Bozeman. Vivid Memory: Just going from bad to first to bad again, but nothing that stands out like the first two.

2025: The Retirement Championship. So many changes this time around. Retired for 15 years and away from Bozeman for the last eight. Watched on a 55-inch Sony TV at our home in the sun-drenched desert of southern Nevada. Really exciting season leading up to it. Different from previous championship years in being able to watch every Bobcat game on home TV. It made this one seem more like a long, difficult trek, instead of just a cluster of 3 or so post-season games. Vivid Memory: Watching Justin Lamson truly dual-threat this dream into reality. The Dowlers. That noisy stadium in Nashville.

A whole lifetime of Bobcats. With a very few exceptions, always players and a program to be proud of. Go ‘Cats!

Such a cool story!

You are likely one of only a handful of people alive to be able to say you've watched every Bobcats NC win. How many people do you reckon were at The Murray to watch it? Were you the one adolescent there or do you remember?

Thank you, @grizzh8r. One would realistically have to be my age (76) or older to remember watching at the Murray (or any CC venue). I’d have no idea as to the head count, but I remember there were people everywhere. Standing, sitting, wherever. The Murray used to host closed circuit TV for boxing matches, so the football game setup would not have been new. I vaguely remember being perched on the back of a big lobby chair or something that got me high enough to see. My father would have made sure of that.

I don’t have specific memories of other people, but my remaining impression is almost all men, and probably some kids as well. I’m a boomer from 1949, post-war kids would have been 11 or under, and there were a lot of us! It was an era where Dad took me along on every adventure, so I’m quite sure there would have been more kids with their fathers. The cost (guessing $5 and less for me) had to be moderate, or we wouldn’t have been there. It was just a big congenial group, pulling 100% for MSC. Probably would have been some player’s parents as well. Game ended 0-0 in pouring rain and sloshing mud. The ‘Cats were the higher ranked team, so took home the trophy.

I have a very sweet keepsake of that game, a laminated photo of the program cover, thanks to @AFCAT!

I was born and raised in Livingston, as was my dad and all 7 of his siblings. He's 6 years your senior, I'll have to bring this story up to him, see if he remembers the CCTV events at The Murray. That said, his memory isn't what it once was...

[BFcatfan]

I do remember 1976 because of Delmar Jones. Huge fan of Delmar in high school.

I attended almost all the 1984 home games, including the semi final. My mom took me to all the games we could get to, including Cat-gris in Missoula. Last time I’ve bothered to go there for a game because they vandalized our car and threw stuff at us in the stands. Anyway, my mom is a big Bobcat fan and attended her first Bobcat game in the 1950s. I vividly remember that Jesse Jones catch and run against Boise because he was coming right at me in the East grandstands and Joe Roberts magical TD as well. I begged my mother to take us to Charleston for the championship game, but she refused. Something about it costing too much money….single parent.…blah….blah….blah. Thanks! Ended up watching the game on TV. Enjoy the crummy retirement home I end up picking out for you, Mom!

Anyway, I got to take her to the past two championship games instead. She missed the first Frisco game because she was sick. She had a blast in Nashville. Dream fulfilled, now about that retirement home.

[nanacat]

I’ve been privileged to watch the TV broadcasts of all four National Championships.

1956: Childhood Championship. I was seven years old. My dad had worked at MSU for ten years after the illness and death of my infant brother brought my parents to Bozeman from Big Timber. Dad was a Bobcat fan by osmosis, working at MSC. He and I rode with a workmate of his, driving a big red and black Buick, through icy Rocky Canyon and over the pass to Livingston. We watched the game on Closed Circuit TV in the lobby of the Murray Hotel, in black and white on a big grainy movie-theater type screen. Vivid Memory: Watching the players sliding for yards and yards in the mud. And the Hershey chocolate bar — thanks, Dad.

1976: Newlywed Championship. Married, graduated from MSU, working four years already and going to grad school part-time at MSU. Watched on a GE 19-inch color TV in our mobile home in Nelson’s Court. Attended home playoff games with my wife and Dad, dressed for the Arctic. Vivid Memory: Going to the airport sometime around midnight to welcome the team and seeing Sonny Holland emerge, wearing his white western hat, holding the trophy high overhead!

1984: The Sort of All Grown Up Championship. Watched on a 27-inch Zenith from our home on Cherry Drive. Dad and I drove the little camper to Alaska for a month that summer. Not expecting much from the team, the excitement started to build mid-season and just kept going. Attended playoff games in Bozeman. Vivid Memory: Just going from bad to first to bad again, but nothing that stands out like the first two.

2025: The Retirement Championship. So many changes this time around. Retired for 15 years and away from Bozeman for the last eight. Watched on a 55-inch Sony TV at our home in the sun-drenched desert of southern Nevada. Really exciting season leading up to it. Different from previous championship years in being able to watch every Bobcat game on home TV. It made this one seem more like a long, difficult trek, instead of just a cluster of 3 or so post-season games. Vivid Memory: Watching Justin Lamson truly dual-threat this dream into reality. The Dowlers. That noisy stadium in Nashville.

A whole lifetime of Bobcats. With a very few exceptions, always players and a program to be proud of. Go ‘Cats!

That was an amazing recollection. Thank you for sharing that. So fun to read, and I especially enjoyed your "Vivid memory" additions.

[Bobcat4Ever]

I’ve been privileged to watch the TV broadcasts of all four National Championships.

1956: Childhood Championship. I was seven years old. My dad had worked at MSU for ten years after the illness and death of my infant brother brought my parents to Bozeman from Big Timber. Dad was a Bobcat fan by osmosis, working at MSC. He and I rode with a workmate of his, driving a big red and black Buick, through icy Rocky Canyon and over the pass to Livingston. We watched the game on Closed Circuit TV in the lobby of the Murray Hotel, in black and white on a big grainy movie-theater type screen. Vivid Memory: Watching the players sliding for yards and yards in the mud. And the Hershey chocolate bar — thanks, Dad.

1976: Newlywed Championship. Married, graduated from MSU, working four years already and going to grad school part-time at MSU. Watched on a GE 19-inch color TV in our mobile home in Nelson’s Court. Attended home playoff games with my wife and Dad, dressed for the Arctic. Vivid Memory: Going to the airport sometime around midnight to welcome the team and seeing Sonny Holland emerge, wearing his white western hat, holding the trophy high overhead!

1984: The Sort of All Grown Up Championship. Watched on a 27-inch Zenith from our home on Cherry Drive. Dad and I drove the little camper to Alaska for a month that summer. Not expecting much from the team, the excitement started to build mid-season and just kept going. Attended playoff games in Bozeman. Vivid Memory: Just going from bad to first to bad again, but nothing that stands out like the first two.

2025: The Retirement Championship. So many changes this time around. Retired for 15 years and away from Bozeman for the last eight. Watched on a 55-inch Sony TV at our home in the sun-drenched desert of southern Nevada. Really exciting season leading up to it. Different from previous championship years in being able to watch every Bobcat game on home TV. It made this one seem more like a long, difficult trek, instead of just a cluster of 3 or so post-season games. Vivid Memory: Watching Justin Lamson truly dual-threat this dream into reality. The Dowlers. That noisy stadium in Nashville.

A whole lifetime of Bobcats. With a very few exceptions, always players and a program to be proud of. Go ‘Cats!

That was an amazing recollection. Thank you for sharing that. So fun to read, and I especially enjoyed your "Vivid memory" additions.

Thank you! Very much. I sold 1984 a bit short in writing that quickly. Let me add. Vivid memory 1984 — Kelly Bradley throwing 38 (I think) touchdown passes. And the Sports Illustrated article that celebrated our worst to first saying the worm had turned when one of the O-line members found a worm in the grass field and chomped it down. A great read — it’s still floating around out there somewhere.

[nanacat]

I’ve been privileged to watch the TV broadcasts of all four National Championships.

1956: Childhood Championship. I was seven years old. My dad had worked at MSU for ten years after the illness and death of my infant brother brought my parents to Bozeman from Big Timber. Dad was a Bobcat fan by osmosis, working at MSC. He and I rode with a workmate of his, driving a big red and black Buick, through icy Rocky Canyon and over the pass to Livingston. We watched the game on Closed Circuit TV in the lobby of the Murray Hotel, in black and white on a big grainy movie-theater type screen. Vivid Memory: Watching the players sliding for yards and yards in the mud. And the Hershey chocolate bar — thanks, Dad.

1976: Newlywed Championship. Married, graduated from MSU, working four years already and going to grad school part-time at MSU. Watched on a GE 19-inch color TV in our mobile home in Nelson’s Court. Attended home playoff games with my wife and Dad, dressed for the Arctic. Vivid Memory: Going to the airport sometime around midnight to welcome the team and seeing Sonny Holland emerge, wearing his white western hat, holding the trophy high overhead!

1984: The Sort of All Grown Up Championship. Watched on a 27-inch Zenith from our home on Cherry Drive. Dad and I drove the little camper to Alaska for a month that summer. Not expecting much from the team, the excitement started to build mid-season and just kept going. Attended playoff games in Bozeman. Vivid Memory: Just going from bad to first to bad again, but nothing that stands out like the first two.

2025: The Retirement Championship. So many changes this time around. Retired for 15 years and away from Bozeman for the last eight. Watched on a 55-inch Sony TV at our home in the sun-drenched desert of southern Nevada. Really exciting season leading up to it. Different from previous championship years in being able to watch every Bobcat game on home TV. It made this one seem more like a long, difficult trek, instead of just a cluster of 3 or so post-season games. Vivid Memory: Watching Justin Lamson truly dual-threat this dream into reality. The Dowlers. That noisy stadium in Nashville.

A whole lifetime of Bobcats. With a very few exceptions, always players and a program to be proud of. Go ‘Cats!

That was an amazing recollection. Thank you for sharing that. So fun to read, and I especially enjoyed your "Vivid memory" additions.

Thank you! Very much. I sold 1984 a bit short in writing that quickly. Let me add. Vivid memory 1984 — Kelly Bradley throwing 38 (I think) touchdown passes. And the Sports Illustrated article that celebrated our worst to first saying the worm had turned when one of the O-line members found a worm in the grass field and chomped it down. A great read — it’s still floating around out there somewhere.

Haha that's fun!